CURSED....to be together! (COMPLETE)

Chapter 40

"Yes!" She whispered between her sobs. My heart was doing summersaults but my mind was still confused.

"Then why are you doing this to us?" I hurtfully asked.

"I Love You Manik....I love you a lot. Perhaps the only person I love besides Rishab. But can't you see, I am cursed! The day you wanted to surprise me, you met with an accident. Think about this Manik, when we hated each other nothing happened to you but the day I though of getting close to you, my cursed destiny started to rub off on you. And even chachi and chacha think that I ruined my whole family. Even Rishab hates me! Then why do you still want me. I will ruin you and I can't do that. I love you Manik, but we can't be together." Nandani said looking into my eyes with her constant sobbing.

I jerked off her as I couldn't believe this was the reason. "Nandani, you got me my family back. You brought the soul in my body. You completed me. Then how can you even think that you will be the bad luck in my life. Have you gone mad or what? I met with an accident because I was speeding and driving recklessly not because of you. Rishab doesn't hate you, trying talking to him and you will understand! Going there at nights and avoiding him is not how it works. And even if you are Cursed then I don't care. I would rather be ruined being with you then dying every moment without you. But Nandani, this is not the case. You left me because you didn't have faith in me. Faith, that I won't leave you like your parents did. You are scared of being loved and until you overcome this fear of yours, you will keep doing this to me. Nandani my biggest fear is of being left out, loneliness! But when you came in my life, it all started to fade away. I fell in love with you but what did you do, you pushed me back into my fears. You showed me all of it in these few days. If you really loved me, then you wouldn't have left me like this or maybe I didn't love you enough, that could have made you stay back." I didn't plan to say all of this neither had I ever though about it. But perhaps they were my true feelings, which she had made me realise. I loved her and there was no doubt about it, but after listening to this stupid reason of hers made me angry or rather hurt and I left!

Nandani's POV
How can he love me so much? I am not worth it! What have I done? Should I get back with him? No....what if something happens again. What should I do? Please somebody help me. I closed my eyes and recall each and every word that Manik had said. I always wanted his happiness but I didn't realise that I was pushing him closer to his fears every time. Manik said that Rishab doesn't hate me, but how does he know that? I should go see Rishab...I looked at the time and didn't realise it was already 8:00. Did I just stay up all night thinking about Manik?

I quickly got ready and headed towards the ashram. "Rishab," I called out to him as he sat on his bed reading comics. He was shocked and surprised to see me. It had been ages since he had seen me and since I had heard his voice.

"Akka?" He said and I smiled like an idiot with tears welling up in my eyes.

I went closer and sat on one side of his bed and hugged him. "How are you Rishab?" But he didn't respond. Obviously, he hated me! I backed off and asked again, "How are you?"

He looked away and said, "So now you remember that you also have a brother!" He was hurt and angry. But I thought he hated me when I visited, then why....?

"Don't say that! You are the reason I am still alive." I said and he looked at me.

"Then why didn't you ever come and meet me?" He asked but I was confused.

"I though you hated me, so I stopped visiting cause I knew it was affecting your progress. So after that I just....." I said but he interrupted me.

"Visited me at nights, when I would be asleep? Akka, I didn't hate you. Never. First the accident happened and I was too shocked. After that what chacha, chachi did to us...... I was angry at you because I somewhere though that if you didn't distract dad while driving than none of it could have happened. But never for once I had held you responsible for it. And the reason I stopped talking to you was because you decided to bring me here in this ashram. You were my only family in this world and you wanted to send me away from you to. I felt frustrated on myself that I had become a burden on you. And I got it all out on you. But when I stopped seeing you, I felt that you left me. And then jiju told me everything. He made me understand why you did everything, why you sent me here in the ashram." He said but who is jiju?

"Jiju? Who?" I asked being confused.

"Manik jiju, your husband!" He said. Wait what, how does he know about him?

"How do you know?" I asked him.

"He used to come meet me in the mornings from the past few days now. He will come even today around 9:00. I like him and I also know that he loves you a lot." Rishab smiled and said. It kind of made me smile a little.

"Did he say that?" I asked to confirm it.

"Ask me how many times he said that. I used to get tired of listening to him talking about you, but he wouldn't get tired of talking about you. He even told me about what you guys did in Shimla, paragliding and all. Look.." He pulled out something under his pillow and showed it to me. "He even got me all my favourite comics, and a PSP so that I don't get bored, and he even got a TV installed in my room. And he got me this from Shimla, a superman headphone. I had just for once mentioned that I love superman, and he got me this. He is definitely the best." I couldn't believe he had done so much for Rishab and never told me about it. I remember he asked me to choose the superman headphones in Shimla, but he told me that it was for himself. This made me regret every bit that I had done to him. He gave only happiness to me and all I did was hurt him. Just then Dr. Mehta came in.

"Hello Nandani, how are you?" He asked.

I smiled and greeted him back, "I am good." But I remembered the Ashram had asked me to pay an advance so I asked about it. "Dr Mehta, did you talk about the advance thing to the management?"

He looked hesitant but answered me, "You don't need to pay anymore, its okay." He was stammering and I very well knew that he was lying.

"Doctor, what's the matter? I know you are lying, did they demand for something more?" I asked being worried.

"No no.....Nothing like that...." He said not looking at me.

"Then what?" I asked, pressurising him.

"Actually, don't tell your husband. He told me not to tell you but he had already paid the advance...." He said shocking me once again. Dr Metha left as he got an emergency call.

This made me break down and I fell on my knees. What had I done! I wanted run away from the person who has done so much for me, without even letting me know. He was right, I am afraid to love and that is why I don't get love in return. I placed my palms over my eyes and cried like a small kid. I literally wanted to kill myself for doing this to Manik. Just then I felt someone's hand on my left shoulder. Slowly I looked to see who it was and I couldn't believe it.....